Improvement in sleds



UNITED STATES lATE JAMES L. T OMPKINS, OF BOONESBOROUGH, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SLEDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,707, dated June 30, 1874; application filed April 10,1874.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES L. ToMPKrNs, of Boonesborough, in the county of Boone and in the State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sled-Runners for Vagons; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this speciication.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a sled-runner to be used on vehicles of any description, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my sledrunner, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the coupling used to connect the runners together and to the running-gear of the wagon. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, showing the runners coupled together with the coupling.

A represents therunner; B B, inclined knees standing at an angle of about forty-tive degrees, inclining toward each other, and forinin g at their upper connected ends the hub C. The runner, knees, and hub are all cast in one piece, and are to be made strong enough to carry any desired weight on sleds or wagons; or light enough to be put onto the lightest buggy or sleigh. They are to be cast to t all sized spindles in wagons and buggies, so that they may be slipped onto a wagon in a short time when needed, and secured there by the same nut that holds the wheels. After the runners are put on the spindles and secured, the coupling-irons are put on in the following manner: D is a governing-rod provided with an eye, a, at one end, which eye is placed on the hook b on the end of the bent rod or coupling G, shown in Fig. 2. An eyebolt or eyescrew, d, is then fastened on the outer side of the runner A at or near the front end, and the rod D is passed back through-the same and through the knees B B immediately or a short distance below the hub C, and secured on the back of the rear knee by a washer and nut, c. The other end of the coupling G is connected to a governing-rod and fastened in the same manner to the runner on the other side. In the center ofthe coupling Gr isa hinged bolt, 7L, which is passed up through a hole in the reach or coupling pole, and secured by a nut, 1', on the top thereof. This is for the runners on the hind axle of a vehicle. For the runners on the front axle, the bolt h is to pass through the tongue and double-tree, and be secured by the nut on top.

For light vehicles, in place of the coupling G, two straight rods only may be used, hinged or jointed together in the center, and hooked into the hooks a a on the governing-rods D, said straight rods being hinged to the back end ot' the buggy-thills, so that the thills may be let down or up, as the case may be.

Itis designed to make the governing-rods D so as to have from one inch to one inch and a half play back and forth, so that there will be no obstruction in letting down the tongue.

rlhe draft is completely regulated by screwing up the nut c on the rear end of the governing-rod to the desired spot, thereby taking a part of the draft from the spindle and hub.

By screwing up the nut c, a part or the whole i of the strain may be taken ott' from the end of the runner, and thereby regulating the sleds perfectly, so that they will run true, and having proper play on the spindle they can adjust themselves to any and all shapes of ground or road better than any stiff sleds cando.

, Then using this sled for logs all that is needed is an axle and common sled-tongue. For double sleds, a bolster would have to be bolted to the axle.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The adjustable governing-rod D, passing through the eye-screwr d on the side of the runner A and through the knees B B under the hub, and adjusted by means of the nut c,

:L11 combined substantial] y as and for the pur- In testimony that I claim the foregoing I poses set forth. have hereunto 'set my hand this 24th day of 2. The combination of the runner A B C, March, 1874.

the adjustable rod D With eye a., the forked coupling G with hooks b b, hinged holt h, and

nut i, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JAMES L. TOMPKINS. Witnesses W. W. TIETsoRT, L. W. SHERMAN. 

